Dream About Tea

Earl Gray-ish in flavor with a hint of sticky rice.

This mini toucha was my first ripe puerh and a nice intro to shou. I used half of the 5-6g cake in a 110ml shibo. Following a rinse, I steeped the first infusion for 20s. Subsequent steeps were between 10-30s. The initial steeps had a bit of fermentation flavor to it. Once it cleared, the tea had a dried prune like fruity flavor and some black tea malt. I was pleasantly surprised by the clean flavor. There was no bitterness like some of the shengs I’ve had recently. For a less than $1 little tea disc, the taste certainly exceeded my expectations.

Really excited to discover this tea room near my house. On my first visit today, I picked up an ounce of bao zhong and a mini tou-cha. I tend to be a little wary of buying loose leaf tea from local shops because in my experience, the quality usually isn’t as good as online stores. However, wanting to support a local business, I set aside my reservations and decided to give it a shot.

The first thing I noticed about this tea was the smell. It smelled strongly of vanilla bean and incense. I wonder if that’s was possibly due to cross contamination from another tea? After a rinse, I steeped 5g of leaf for 1 minute at approximately 190 F. The tea brewed up amber so apparently this is a baked oolong. The taste was quite different from other baozhongs I’ve had. The vanilla were there, along with sandalwood, cedar wood and some spice. There’s a tingling, minty sensation left behind in the aftertaste after each sip which I found oddly satisfying on a hot summer afternoon.

This was a very atypical baozhong. It wasn’t the flowery, lilac bouquet I was hoping for. It could have been a good tea, but unfortunately the off flavors spoiled it for me.

This is my all time favorite tea!!!1

A well defined delicate and airy oolong. Aromas of white flowers and fruit lift from the pale greenish-amber cup and draw you into the mellow flavors of chestnuts, orchids and sweet cream with mild vegetal notes. The mouth feel is elegantly soft and almost milky, yet not full bodied or clunky at all, highlighting the flavor profile beautifully. Fantastic balanced acidity which coaxes notes of fresh berries that seem to not be there until the finish. Almost no astringency at all… I honestly do not think you can over steep these leaves. As difficult a process as it is to make good oolong, this one really shines. I emailed the shop to inquire as to the exact sourcing as I would really like to know the specifics. I have had many ti kwan yins, as it seems every tea shop carries it… this one really stands out.

I tasted this sitting in one of my favorite tea rooms (Dream About Tea). Nothing mind blowing here… just a solid steep. Sweet and light, the tea has hints of vanilla sugar cookies and cut grass with a lingering soft and balanced finish.

Had this lovely tea while sitting in one of my favorite tea houses and listening to Edward Elgar. Wonderful floral aroma with subtle green grass. Chestnuts and almond sweetness on the palate enveloped by notes of warm sod. Finish was long and smooth with hints of white smoke and balanced acidity resulting in a focused calming physiological effect.

What a lovely pu erh! I was skeptical as to whether this little cake (of lower quality than the larger Yunnan cakes) would really excite me, and I was wrong. Strong aromas or leather and potting soil jump out of the reddish deep brown liquor. Incredible full mouth-feel and smooth finish. Notes of leather, soil and musty peat surround subtle flavors of white smoke, ash and ground coffee. Really a pleasant surprise, and at a very reasonable price from one of my favorite tea shops.

Healthy

Prep: gongfu cha (gaiwan)
If you are new to oolong teas, I think this is a great introduction. Nice floral aromas, smooth finish with every steep increasing in flavor until around steep #4 where the flavor is packed with intensity.

A welcome addition to my short list of favorite oolongs on the malty, strong side. I have gradually learned to use my sense of smell and sight to judge if the tea has steeped according to my liking. I have stopped using time. This is a good recommendation by owner at tea shop. Good till 2nd steeping. The third cup already tastes bland.

This is one of the best tasting taiwan oolongs i have had and the best price also. It is similar to a good monkey picked with no astringent taste i brew gung fu method in yixing pots for many steeps. Highly recomend and the latest shipment fall 2011 ha sbeen one of the best.

A lovely tea and like many higher quality green teas the right temperature is crucial.
This is so that the flavour can be fully appreciated.
I find that the best temoerature to do this is 70 degrees Centigrade. The first infusion gives a floral taste along with a hint of nuttiness no vegetal taste like other green teas.
The second and third infusions I would brew at 80 degrees C as this brings out greater flavour and what flavours the floral notes are much more vivid and the taste of the floral notes linger.
The steeping times range from 3 minutes to 5 minutes for further infusions.
I would say this is a lovely tea and is deserving of attention to details such as temperature and steeping times to enjoy.

love the reactions i get when saying the name to others. really really like the taste. love the fact that if i forget about it the flavor does not seem to ruin even if it get alot stronger >_< and i can reuse the leaf several times without it tasting just like plain hot water :)

D’une fraîcheur remarquablement désaltérante, ce thé vert du Jiangxi possède de belles feuilles éparses composées de nombreux bourgeons. Légèrement végétal, il possède un sucre naturel rappelant les pois verts tendres ou l’asperge fraîche ainsi qu’un aspect grillé réconfortant pouvant évoquer les marrons chauds ou le maïs rôti. Charmant, avec une belle persistance délicate, il comblera les amateurs de thés verts équilibrés.
camellia-sinensis.com

This year’s Golden Silk is superb. Dry it smells so good, your mouth starts watering. it is a smooooooth woodsy, honey floral mix that is wonderful!